Buchanan overpowers Clovis West in section football playoff opener

The second-seeded Buchanan High Bears didn’t lose their focus in a rematch with a district rival, beating Clovis West 31-0 Friday night to start the Central Section Division I football playoffs.

The Bears beat the Golden Eagles 35-7 on Oct. 5 in a Tri-River Athletic Conference game.

Buchanan running back Kendall Milton scored twice, including a 19-yard run in which he bowled over two Clovis West defenders.

“Once you start rolling over a few defenders, you get to a mindset to where nobody can tackle me,” Milton said.

The Bears’ other main playmaker, Jalen Cropper, scored on a 15-yard catch in the back of the end zone to put the game out of reach.

“We just have to keep building,” Buchanan coach Matt Giordano said. “We have to understand that the road is going to get tougher and tougher.”

The Bears (9-2) next face No. 7 seed Arroyo Grande, a team that routed Sanger 59-10 in the first round.

Top-seeded Central had a first-round bye.

This story was originally published November 2, 2018 at 10:50 PM.